Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips

If you are a fan of both potato chips and chocolate, then you will surely love chocolate-covered potato chips. This delicious and unusual pairing is a tasty way to satisfy both sweet and salty cravings.

I was introduced to this interesting treat when my husband took home a box of Royce Potato Chip Chocolate from Tokyo in 2005. It was love at first bite. I'm a fan of both food items individually so I took instantly to the delicious combination of sweet, smooth, luxurious milk chocolate and crisp, thick-sliced lightly salted potato chips. The Japanese brand Royce was not yet available here in the Philippines at the time, and I didn't know of other candy companies that made it, so I started looking for ways to make the treat myself.

Hungry for more information about chocolate-covered potato chips? Please read on.

Image courtesy of Esther Price Assorted Chocolates

I initially thought that this unusual combination originated in Japan since the first chocolate-covered potato chip I've ever tasted is made by the Japanese brand Royce, but apparently the "chipper" as it's called in Fargo, North Dakota has been around for ages. Widman's Candy, founded in 1885 as well as other commercial confectioneries and homeowners in the state have been making these treats for a long time.

They finally came into the market in 1985 when a company called Executive Sweets started manufacturing them commercially and has gained a small following by word of mouth since. Other companies started making the treat.

The snack has been quite popular in Japan in the last decade. Over there, the snack is called "pote choco", a shortcut for "potato chocolate", and comes in many variants including versions where the chips are covered in dark or white chocolate. Sometimes the chips are crushed into little pieces and are mixed into the chocolate just to add a salty bite to the sweet treat.

In the US, the not-exactly-healthy snack received considerable media attention in 2009, when they were served to congressional committee members discussing, ironically, Health Care reform. It is currently gaining in popularity at the moment as recipes are constantly appearing online.

Image courtesy of Royce Chocolates

Read more about chocolate-coated potato chips on the following websites:

Crisp potato chips dipped in smooth and creamy chocolate...mmm.

Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

Source: AllRecipes

Ingredients

1 pound high quality milk chocolate, chopped

8 cups ridged potato chips

Procedure

1. Melt about 3/4 of the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl over the top of a pan of simmering water (or if you have a double boiler, use that). Continue to heat the chocolate to 110 degrees F (43 degrees C), stirring occasionally. You may use a meat thermometer if your candy thermometer does not go that low.

2. As soon as the melted chocolate reaches temperature, remove it from the heat and stir in the remaining chopped chocolate until melted. Continue stirring until the chocolate has cooled to 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). Dab some chocolate to your lip, it should feel cool.

3. Use tongs to dip potato chips one at a time into the chocolate. Place on waxed paper and cool in the refrigerator until set.

Image courtesy of Royce Chocolates

I would love to hear what you think!